A state judge has approved a $250,000 settlement between Clemson University and the family of a student who died during a fraternity pledge run nearly three years ago.

Clemson on Thursday announced its settlement with the family of Tucker Hipps, a 19-year-old sophomore who was found dead underneath a bridge over Lake Hartwell in September 2014. The Oconee County Coroner’ Office said his injuries were consistent with a fall from the bridge, which investigators believe occurred during a run with other pledge members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. However, other fraternity members have given different accounts of what happened.

Court records show the deal was approved earlier this month, but Clemson made it public by releasing a statement Thursday. “Before Tucker’s death, Clemson had begun instituting changes to its policies regarding its Greek system to improve the experience for our students,” the unattributed email stated. “After Tucker’s death, the University accelerated its efforts and made additional substantial changes to its Greek system… As a result of these changes, the 2016-2017 academic year saw a substantial decrease in major charges and violations of the Student Code of Conduct by fraternity members.” [Read more…]

When the 5,800-member freshman class enters the University of South Carolina next week, about half of those students will be from out of state.

Students moving in at the University of South Carolina (Image: USC/John Brunelli)

According to The State newspaper, USC officials told a state Senate panel Tuesday the school has to admit more out-of-state students to make up for nearly $100 million cut in state funding over the last decade. They also said the higher tuition from those students helps pay for the education of in-state students.

The newspaper reports university president Harris Pastides promised lawmakers on the panel that the percentage of incoming out-of-state students will not continue to rise.

Pastides also condemned the claim of “voodoo mathematics” by a college oversight board. The Commission on Higher Education has said the $95 million in tuition discounts given to out-of-state students last year ended up causing a net loss in USC’s overall budget. The school said the breaks encourage higher-quality students to attend USC, since they would receive the lower in-state tuition rate. Pastides said the commission used numbers out of context to reach its conclusion.

The hearing this week was part of an ongoing discussion over $586 million in tuition breaks the university has used to attract out-of-state students over the past decade. Senators expressed concern Tuesday that only 58 percent of USC’s current student body is from South Carolina, despite being the state’s flagship school.

With a new school year getting underway, a University of South Carolina education professor has some advice for parents when communicating with teachers.

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Beth White said parents need to take advantage of resources such as open houses and faculty meet and greets. “Avoid taking the children because that time is very much for the adults,” White said.

White said that does not mean shutting out your child, however. “You might even want to ask your child if there are any questions or anything that he or she wants to know prior to you going.”

She said before going to such events, know your child’s teachers. “It’s important that when you go know your child’s teacher or you have the child’s schedule or you know where to get it. So that when you get there you’re not having to ask where you are supposed to be,” said White.

White said these events are not to be confused with parent-teacher conferences. These welcome-back events are to lay the groundwork for the longer meeting between parents and teachers at a future date.

As students return to schools across South Carolina over the next two weeks, one of the biggest changes taking effect this upcoming year could require students who fail to read on grade level be held back after third grade.

The new requirements are part of the “Read to Succeed Act” approved by legislators and signed by then-Gov. Nikki Haley in 2014. Under the new regulations, third-graders who have the lowest score on the SC Ready reading test could be affected.

Department of Education spokesman Ryan Brown said the idea is to make sure students are ready to advance. “We realize that reading is one of, if not the most, critical predictor of educational and even lifelong success,” “So, when the legislature was writing this, we wanted to get a comprehensive support system for readers.”

A student can avoid being held back by attending a summer reading camp and showing positive gains or passing an alternative test given by the school district, under the Education Department’s regulations. Students with limited English or who have a recognized disability also will not be affected. Previously held-back students who show improvement will be able to advance.

Roughly 3,200 students statewide would have been eligible had the program been in effect last year.

Brown said, while third grade is the critical point, the program tries to target struggling kids much earlier. “They are identifying these students way before then. And the supports are as soon as they get into the public education system. We’re not just waiting until the third grade.”

South Carolina districts have already been offering summer reading camps and reading coaches the past three years since the law’s passage.

A new report from the American Cancer Society says the state is falling short on cancer-fighting policies.

American Cancer Society logo.

Beth Johnson of the group’s South Carolina chapter said nearly 20 percent of adults in the state use tobacco, which takes a toll on the body. “South Carolina is one of only three states in the country that did not receive a green, or positive rating in our report How Do You Measure Up,” Johnson said.

She said tobacco use leads to higher spending on healthcare. “South Carolina is spending about $1.9 billion a year in smoking-related healthcare costs,” Johnson said.

Johnson said raising the tobacco tax could be tool to reduce its use. “Which has been an issue in our state that we really have not touched and bothered for several years. The last tobacco tax increase was passed in 2010 and it took us ten years to pass that tax.”

South Carolina currently charges a 57 cent per-pack excise tax on cigarettes. The amount is among the lowest nationwide, but the 2010 change was controversial for a massive jump from 7 cents per-pack.

The 15th annual report illustrates where states stand on issues that play a critical role in reducing cancer incidence and death. It identifies and measures nine specific policy actions that state legislatures can take to fight cancer, which the American Cancer Society believes would save lives and money. It also focuses on issues relating to tobacco control policies, cancer prevention and improving access to care.

The College of Charleston says it has revoked a longtime fraternity’s recognition after repeated incidents of alcohol, drugs and hazing.

Thursday’s announcement came the same day a former student filed a lawsuit against the chapter after he said four of its members beat him and held him captive following an argument as leaders and the adult advisor tried to hide it from the school and police.

Pi Kappa Phi was actually founded at College of Charleston in 1904 and counts current college President Glenn McConnell among its alumni. A college spokesman said the school began its investigation in mid-May and reviewed other incidents dating back three months.

The suit claims the student got into an argument with a newly-initiated Pi Kappa member in April at a party which featured “copious amounts” of alcohol and drugs supplied by the fraternity. The lawsuit claims the student was kicked out and several members threatened to kill him if he returned. Later that night, four members broke into the plaintiff’s apartment and “physically beat him to a pulp, leaving him in and out of consciousness” the lawsuit states. [Read more…]

The family of a Clemson University fraternity pledge at Sigma Phi Epsilon who died during a run with members of the fraternity three years ago has settled lawsuits against Clemson, the fraternity and several frat brothers over his death.

The Anderson Independent Mail reports that the settlement in the case of Tucker Hipps’ death still has to be approved by a judge. The amount of money involved was not disclosed in court filings.

Hipps family reached the settlement after extensive mediation, according to documents filed with the Pickens County Courthouse.

The 19-year-old Clemson University sophomore and fraternity pledge was found dead in water near a highway bridge on Lake Hartwell hours after going on the run. The Oconee County Coroner’ Office said his injuries were consistent with a fall from the bridge.

Parents Cindy and Gary Hipps filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the defendants in March 2015. The two cases were consolidated earlier this year. The lawsuit claims Hipps was hazed on the run after he did not bring breakfast for fraternity members as older students had ordered. The lawsuit claims he was forced to walk a narrow rail on the bridge as punishment. However, members of the fraternity have strongly denied they were present when Hipps fell, instead saying the former Wren High School student had fallen behind on the run.

A new Clemson University automotive engineering certificate program could help advance careers in South Carolina’s growing vehicle manufacturing industry.

Clemson University photo.

Assistant research professor and program director Mark Hoffman told South Carolina Radio Network that students will be better served by a certificate program that allows them to keep working.

“We felt that perhaps there was a substantial opportunity for those who might not be able to take two years off full-time to join our graduate program and get a masters degree,” he said.

The certificate program is a condensed version of the master’s program, providing the most essential lessons without the extended time commitment. It could prove helpful for workers not only in large companies but also those employed with suppliers, Hoffman said. Industry employees who enroll in the certificate program should hold an applicable bachelor’s degree.

The program has the potential to positively impact the state’s growing auto manufacturing industry. “We decided to increase the impact of our campus in the Upstate area especially, but even across all of South Carolina,” Hoffman said.

Last month, BMW said it will invest $600 million at its Greer plant, creating 1,000 new jobs over four years. Volvo is building a $500 million manufacturing site in Berkeley County and Mercedes Benz Vans broke ground last year on a $500 million assembly plant in Ladson.

A law approved by state legislators last year requires school districts across South Carolina have their students take statewide tests online.

The State newspaper reports that 47 of the state’s more than 80 school districts are seeking waivers from that specific requirement. 40 of those districts said they simply do not have enough computers to do the tests online. Inadequate internet access is cited by 36 of the districts.

Some districts said their buildings are too old that renovations to upgrade their technology would cost too much or would be impossible. Others claim that issues such as leaky roofs and a lack of air conditioning in closets where data servers are located create obstacles to decent internet access. Some even blamed concrete walls which can block Wi-Fi signals, making it hard to increase internet access.

Students in schools that receive the waivers will take the tests with paper and a pencil.

Executive Vice President Joe Henchman told South Carolina Radio Network that they provide no real continual tax relief. “There’re a gimmick, there’re not real tax reform, they’re not real tax reductions. Usually the sponsors of them are people who are opposed to actually meaningfully reducing people’s taxes,” said Henchman.

Budapes said naming of it is also a way to make it sound like it’s a good thing. “One weekend a year you’ll get a couple items tax free. Which of course in South Carolina it just that means it’s about seven or eight percent off which is not a sale that usually has people running to the stores. Tax free sounds a lot better,” Henchman said.

Henchman said that there are more efficient ways to provide relief. “Better approach might be something more targeted or something that reduces taxes year round rather than just one weekend.”

South Carolina is one of 16 states which still use sales tax holidays jn 2017, down from a peak of 19 states in 2010. South Carolina will hold a back-to-school sales tax holiday August 4-6 on certain educational items and clothing